Bag frame



y 16,-1939- B. BLACHER 2,158,955 q BAG FRAME I Filed Nov. 1 I938Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amass BAG mmApplication November 1, 1938, Serial No. mas:

' 1 Claim. (01. 150-10) This invention relates to a bag frame and hasfor one of its objects to provide a device which will snap closed whenmoved into a position approximating its closed position and, due to someI resiliency; will tend at all times when closed to maintain a closureof a bag to which it is attached. Another object of the invention is toprovide a device which from closed position may be merely pulled openwithout releasing any locks or latches 1 and which may be closed byexternalioppositely directed pressures toward each other and there bemaintained closed without the need of any locks or latches.

- Another object of the invention is to utilize a 15 leaf spring forurging the device either to open or closed position, which spring may,if desired, be a part of one of the resilient closure members.

Another object of the invention is to provide two flat ribbon-likeresilient members which may be bow outwardly toform an opening or willlie in substantially face-to-face contact to close the opening withsuitable devices connecting them at their ends for assisting in suchmovement from opened or closed position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of cone struction, as will be more fully described, and

particularly pointed out in the-appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation 01 a bag equipped with my improved frame;

. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame in open position;

Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the frame in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one the hinge parts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cooperating m hinge part;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a separate spring; Fig. 7 is afragmental sectional view showingthe hinge connecting adjacent ends ofthe ribbon-like members and in open position corresponding to 5 theposition shown in Fig. 2;

v Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the relationship when inclosed position such as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form so of ribbon member,showing a tongue at the end forming a spring part onthe member itself;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 8 butillustrating the resilient member and spring as shown in Fig. 9 inassembled posi- 5 tion with the hinge;

f Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but illustrating the hinge asformed with an additional ply; Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 butshowing the spring as formed of a plurality of additional p a Fig. 13 isa view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating the spring for the hinge as ofa single ply;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating the spring forthehinge as composed of three plies; and I 10 Fig. 15. is a view similarto Fig. 10 but illustrating the flat ribbon members as made up of twoplies, each with a spring similarly formed to that shown in Fig. 10.

In the use of bag frames it is desirable to proll vide aframe devicewhich may be pulled from its opposite sides to open the bag and byapplying positioned beyond a certain angle so that they will snapclosed, whereas when moved open beyond a certain position the samespring will cause them to snap open-and thus I am enabled to provide aframe, the flat ribbon-like members of which will bow outwardly toprovide for the opening of the bag but which when pushed together willmaintain themselves closed by reason of the inherent resiliency and thehinge connection at their ends, and by being flat and in face-to-iacecontact will occupy a minimum amount of space; and the following is-amore detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention,illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results maybe accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, in designates the pouch material of thebag which is assembled upon a frame by a suitable covering for the frameas at H. The frame is designated generally l2 and, as illustratedperspectively in Fig. 2, is formed of two flat ribbon-like membersll-il' which are identical and usually of spring steel of a temper whichwill cause the members to have considerable resiliency and beratherstill.

The members are connected together at their ends by hinges whichconsistof a part it having eyes ll-ii and a part II having eyes W-ll".

It is provided with a cut-out or recess 22 throughwhich the cam orfinger II will swing when the two parts are moved relatively about thatpintle.

A pair of leaf springs 23 are mounted between the part ll and the end ofthe member II to extend through the opening I! and be in a position tobe engaged by the cam or finger 2|. This cam or ilnger'll is disposed atsubstantially right angles to the plane or body portion as shown in Fig.8;-the springs 2I,'which are illustrated as two in number in Figs. 7 and8, will eng e the finger 2| in a position outwardly of the pintle so asto tend to move the hinge parts ll and it about the pintle toward eachother as shown in Fig. 8 so as to tend to close the ends of thememmentary leaf spring, whereas inl ig. 12 I have bers I3 and I3;whereas when the a members l3--l3' are pulled outwardlyso as to bow theminto the position shown in Fig. 2, which may be accomplished by a handle24 on the opposite sides of the bag, then the spring will engage thefinger illustrated two such additional supplementary springs, it beingunderstood that any \desired number of leaf springs may be built up toobtain the desired control and will be reversed and the hinge reversedin the 2| on the opposite side 01' the pivot pintle I1 and tend to swingthe two hinge parts it and it open or outwardly as shown in Fig. 7.

In Figs. 2, 7 and 8 I have illustrated the members 13-18 as providedwith square ends and two leaf springs such as .23'applied in connectionwith the hinge by being mounted between the: hinge part I4 and theribbon member I3 and there held in position by the rivets III. In somecases, howeverya single spring 23, such as shown in Fig. 13, will beutilized in a similar manner to that shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8, whereasin some cases three springs 13, as shown in Fig. 14, will beutilizedinstead oftwo springs.

The flat ribbon-like members ll-ll' are formed of spring steel stock andin some cases it may be desirable to form such members as shown at 25 inFig. 9 with the spring tongue 2' formed as one piece with the stockthereof and in such an arrangement no separate spring need be provided,this structure being illustrated in section in Fig. 10. In some cases itmay be desirable to supplement the pressure of the spring tongue 26 byan additional spring, such as 23, and in Fig. 11 I have illustrated onesuch. additional supple- Joining oi the parts together. Where, however.when separate springs are utilized, as 23, it will be immaterial whetherthe hinges. are symmetrically arranged to each other at the oppositeends of the device.

In each of the showings which I have illustrated, it will be apparentthat the ends of the ribbon-like members,'as II, II which are connectedtogether, are spaced by reason oi the construction of the hinge whichconnects them or by reason of the means which connects the ends to theparts of the hinge. This serves, as will clearly be apparent from Fig.3, to bow the ribbon members inwardly when in closed position and assistin holding the members in contact at their center portion.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended olaim.

I claim:

A bag frame comprising two resilient fiat ribbon-like members iniace-to-face contact when in closed position, a hinge at each end of theframe, each connecting the adjacent ends of said members together, eachhinge being provided with two parts with one part being notched, a

pivot connecting said parts and means including BENJAMIN BLACHER.

